Castle land access row rumbles on

Richard Evans, local democracy reporter

A row over public rights of way on the grounds of a castle where I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! was filmed looks set to continue.

Councillor Andrew Wood, the vice chair of Conwy County Council’s licensing committee, had applied for the routes to be made public rights of way on the castle’s grounds after they were fenced off in recent years.

Cllr Wood, who owns “significant” land adjacent to Gwrych Castle, Abergele made the application under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 but was previously told he could have no further involvement in the hearing due to his vested interest.

Solicitor’s letter

This week he submitted a solicitor’s letter at a meeting of the committee in Bodlondeb meeting this week. The committee was due to rule on whether four routes through the castle grounds would be kept open for the public.

Cllr Wood attended the beginning of the meeting before the debate on the matter began then agreed to leave. Licensing officers recommended that the public rights of way applications should be refused.

But the matter has now been deferred following Cllr Wood’s solicitor sending a letter arguing that vital information had not been considered by the committee.

The “missing information” cited in the solicitor’s letter relates to details contained in a 7,500-page report compiled by Cllr Wood, and the committee will now spend more time analysing the evidence. Chairman Cllr John Roberts read out a section of the letter from Cllr Wood’s solicitor JCP Associates, requesting the meeting was deferred for three months, allowing more consultation.

Deferral

The committee were then reminded by legal officers that a deferral was a decision to be made by the committee, not other parties. Representing Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust, Mr Webster also sent a letter proposing alternative public pathways through the land that would not interfere with the castle’s restoration or operation as a tourist destination.

Cllr Keith Eeles proposed the matter was deferred. “From both sides now, there does appear to be information missing – and this is also a massive report to try and read, nearly 7,500 pages – without missing anything and giving fairness and transparency to the debate of this application by Cllr Wood,” he said.

“Having been called as a witness to a judicial review based on an allegation of some council issues in the past, I think, given the costs involved in a judicial review, I think it would be prudent to defer this, because I wouldn’t want the council to go through a judicial review. It’s a nightmare and costly as well. Also, the solicitor has said there are documents missing, and also Mr Webster as well, claiming additional paths have been proposed.” He added: “These, too, don’t seem to have been in the report pack, so therefore I would like to propose we defer this.”

Cllr Stephen Price added: “Any decision this council takes needs to be informed, and it does appear we are not fully informed at this stage.” Cllr Price seconded Cllr Eeles, and the committee voted unanimously in favour of deferral. Councillors heard how the application will likely be redebated at a special licensing committee meeting in October.